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Do body wraps work? Find out what is a body wrap and how body wraps work. You can make your own body wrap at home, but you need to know whether body wraps are safe.
Anything that promises beautiful and slimmer body without the exercises and diet is attractive to anyone who would rather laze around and get instant results on weight loss. Body wraps are being offered as spa treatments in the claim of helping you lose an inch of your body thickness. These treatments require you to get several and sometimes you can treat yourself at home, if you have the time.
The big question is however, do body wraps work? This article will explain what is a body wrap, how body wraps work and whether they are safe if given ingredients to make your own solution from items in your own kitchen or bathroom cabinets. Pay attention and learn.
Do Body Wraps Work?
It is important to first to understand what body wraps are before getting into whether they work or not. What is a body wrap? It is simply envelop of bandages on your body after a lotion or herbal solution has been applied to it. The bandages are wrapped carefully and tightly, while ensuring all parts of the body from the ankles to below neck are covered.
Have you ever seen a photo of an Egyptian mummy? You end up looking like one except that your face is not covered. Your hands and feet are left free as well. Do body wraps work? Well, those spas that provide these treatments claim that you can get the following benefits from a body wrap:
- Detoxification
- Healing from aches and pain
- Removal of excess fats from body tissues hence losing weight
- Removal of excess fluids from tissues
- Diminished joint pain
- Tight skin
- Toned skin
- Nourished skin
These are just claims, which do not answer the question, do body wraps work. According to webmd.com, there is no scientific verification that body wraps detoxify your body or rid it of impurities. Therefore, on the first benefit this spa treatment is just a myth.
When it comes to healing of aches and pain, it depends on the ingredients you use in your body wrap. Epsom salts are used in baths for this purpose. Therefore, if used in body wraps they would still give the same benefits. When it comes to this claim, it all depends on the components going into your body wrap solution.
When it comes to losing fat especially around the abdomen, most people advice on body wraps. What is a body wrap in regards to losing fat? The only sure to lose fat in your midsection is through exercise. Therefore, if you have a fat belly and hanging love handles, only workouts and diet can intervene in your favor. Do body wraps work in weight loss? This is a mere myth they do not.
People who have had body wraps insist that they feel relaxed and their skin appear more beautiful than ever. This could be the truth on the claim that they tone, nourish and make skin smoother. The ingredients used in the body wraps solutions could condition the skin, but can never get past it.
How Body Wraps Work
Since all the above benefits of this treatment are just claims, so what do body wraps do? How body wraps work depends totally on the type. According to most beauticians, they seem to give about three different types of body wraps and each seeks to accomplish a certain beauty or healthy benefit. However, only two of these live up to the claim.
Moisturizing or Hydrating Body wraps
These kinds use mud, creams or oils. These substances are applied on your body before you are wrapped up in a warm blanket. They help the skin in the following ways: removing impurities, moisturizing and conditioning.
Dehydration or Inch Loss Wraps
This treatment makes you lose an inch or more depending on your initial size and how many sessions you undergo. The packaging of the treatment if bought over the counter does not give guarantee for weight loss or longevity for actual results. However, it does happen through water elimination. Do not be too enthusiastic about the weight loss results from this type as they are not permanent, they will last two to three days.
When it comes to the removal of excess water, how body wraps work is excellent. This is why you may feel dehydrated after a treatment session at the spa or a home. Unfortunately, after quenching your thirst your emptied cells, become full again from the water. Therefore, the water loss is only temporary and you will go back to your bloated self again.
Detoxification Body Wraps
Probably when you ask at the spa, you will be told that you are getting a detox body wrap. This treatment is supposed to help boost your immune system by draining your lymphatic system off toxins and fatty acids. These are then released into your capillaries so that they can be eliminated through your waste. Some of these treatments work best for cellulite and spider veins among others.
How body wraps work is simply conditioning your skin since the detoxification has not been tested. What do body wraps do on weight loss? They help you lose the water, albeit temporarily.
Homemade Body Wrap Ingredients
You can purchase your body wrap solution or make one yourself at home. Homemade body wrap ingredients would enable you to save big since you get to use groceries you already have in the house. On the other hand, you have to take the time to make the solution, unlike the over the counter solutions, homemade ones require preparation and a day before you do the body wrap.
Here is an example of detoxifying body wrap ingredients that can also cure muscle aches and stress. You will need the following:
- I cup Epsom salts, mineral or sea salts are also fine
- ½ cup aloe vera
- ½ cup glycerin
- 2-3 teaspoonful of essential oil
- 3 cups of water
- A tea bag or chamomile
Directions: heat the water with a tea bag or chamomile in it. Dissolve the salts and add the other ingredients. Ensure they mix well. Remove the solution from the stove and leave it to cool because you will need to use when hot, but not scalding hot. If you want to use the solution immediately, put the solution in an ice bucket before soaking your bandages in the solution.
Alternatively, just apply lotion, any lotion on your body and wrap with a cling wrap before adding an elastic bandage and fastening it with a clip or safety pin.
Body Wrap Before and after Pictures
While researching about what is a body wrap, some users of these spa treatments will go ahead to show pictures of themselves especially on their abdomen before and after using body wraps. The body wrap before and after pictures are mostly for the midsection. As indicated earlier the loss of an inch occurs temporarily as water from the body is drawn out.
If you want permanent results for abdomen fat loss, try workouts that target the stomach and the back. Best exercises to lose love handles and lower back exercises can help you in this endeavor. However, you must work on making your diet free of fats and sugars. The thighs are the hardest to lose inches with body wraps.
Best Body Wrap Bandages
If you are buying bandages to use at home to wrap your body, it is best that you buy the elastic kinds. This body wrap bandages compact your body by providing a tight wrap to compress your fat cells, which have lost water back together. You can find various brands at pharmacies near you. Some body wraps kits also come readily with bandages so you do not have to buy them separately.
Are Body Wraps Safe? Any Risks?
What is a body wrap? It is a beauty treatment that can get you fitting in that little black dress so that you can look stunning in that official or casual dinner. Nevertheless, it comes at a price. You have to do it right or ensure that you go to a professional to avoid the following risks associated with them.
For starters, it causes dehydration. This is why you will be required to drink water before, during and after treatment. You have to ensure that you get about 64 ounces in a day.
Due to too the bandage being tight, you may also have a restricted blood flow. Therefore, if you notice you hands or feet changing to color blue, you ought to remove the bandage as soon as possible. The treatment could turn fatal if you continue to have the bandage on.
Depending on the ingredients used in the body wrap solution, your skin could also have an allergic reaction. Therefore, make sure that you get to mix only ingredients that do not react with your skin. Furthermore, ensure that you as the spa beauticians what solutions they are using on your body just to be sure that you will not have reactions later. You can know you are allergic to a treatment if you develop itchy skin and rashes among other symptoms.
